allusion

<font size="-1" face="arial, helvetica"> <p> <strong> <font color="#000066">Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 1, 2020 is:</font> </strong> </p> <p> <strong>allusion</strong> &#149; \uh-LOO-zhun\&nbsp; &#149; <em>noun</em><br /> <p><strong>1 :</strong> an implied or indirect reference especially in literature; <em>also</em> <strong>:</strong> the use of such references</p> <p><strong>2 :</strong> the act of making an indirect reference to something <strong>:</strong> the act of <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/alluding">alluding</a> to something</p> </p> <p> <strong>Examples:</strong><br /> <p>"The learning by rote and the endeavours to remember the complex prosodic structures of Shakespearean verses also stretch the muscles of the mind. The speeches are all dramatic, full of emotional appeal and inclusive of several <em>allusions</em> to Greco-Roman mythology. One thinks of these <em>allusions</em> and wonders about their meanings or metaphoric resonances." — <a href="http://bwwellbeingworld.businessworld.in/article/Health-and-well-being-is-a-high-priority-in-current-health-and-social-care-provision/18-06-2020-288308/">Sophie Barry, <em>Business World</em>, 17 June 2020</a></p> <p>"Other than a bunch of cryptic <em>allusions</em> to a masterplan scattered throughout the season, her plan was never made clear. It didn't help that she seemed to vacillate between cold-blooded killer and teary-eyed sentimentalist several times an episode." — <a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/tv/tv-recaps/westworld-season-3-episode-8-crisis-theory-991619/">Sean T. Collins, <em>Rolling Stone</em>, 3 May 2020</a></p> </p> <p> <strong>Did you know?</strong><br /> <p><em>Allusion</em> was borrowed into English in the 16th century. It derives from the Latin verb <em>alludere</em>, meaning "to play with," "to jest," or "to refer to," as does its cousin <em><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/allude">allude</a></em>, meaning "to